Home » Hanafi Fiqh » Muftionline.co.za » Women’s Clothing During Salah: Common Questions Answered

Women’s Clothing During Salah: Common Questions Answered

Answered as per Hanafi Fiqh by Muftionline.co.za

Q: I read in your book that women’s clothes during salaah can’t reveal her body shape. My salaah dress is not tight, however when I go to ruku you can see the shape of the knees, going to sajda – shape of back, in jalsah – shape of knees again as I sit, etc. so the dress is not tight but not very flowing and loose. Is it a problem? I have also question about sleeves of the dress. It is not tight, but not that its very wide, when bending an arm it shows shapes of elbow, etc. is it a problem? In one my abaya a sleeve has a tight ending, around 20 cm from a wrist upwards towards elbow. Is this tight ending a problem from making salah in this abaya? Also, is it ok to make salah in hijab (scarf) or only in khimar is ok, because hijab when wrapped around head looks tight and khimar flows down. At home I make it in khimar (till belly), but outside in hijab (scarf), what is the status of common hijab (scarf) for salah? By the way, even khimar falling down the bosom still shows its shape. Is it ok or we have to wear khimar 3 times bigger our size to have many gathers to hide all possible shapes? Is it what we have to try to achieve in our dress for salah and our khimar? In your book its stated that arms of a woman must be under burqa. I checked burqa in the internet and saw a dress that clothes all face including eyes. Is this the requirement, because it is also written in the book that face can be open? My khimar is till belly and its inconvenient to put hands under it for takbeer. Is it ok to do it on top?

Bismillaah

A: 1-2. If the clothing is non-transparent and nor is it tight fitting, then it is permissible for you to perform Salaah in such clothing.

3. The condition for women’s Salaah to be valid is that their hair and entire body should be covered. Hence, to perform the Salaah wearing a burqa over the clothing is better as there is more concealment of the body limbs. The face, hands till the wrists and feet (i.e. from below the ankles) do not have to be covered during Salaah.

And Allah Ta’ala (الله تعالى) knows best.

Answered by:

Mufti Zakaria Makada

Checked & Approved:

Mufti Ebrahim Salejee (Isipingo Beach)

This answer was collected from MuftiOnline.co.za, where the questions have been answered by Mufti Zakaria Makada (Hafizahullah), who is currently a senior lecturer in the science of Hadith and Fiqh at Madrasah Ta’leemuddeen, Isipingo Beach, South Africa.

Read answers with similar topics: